Baker, Polito capture GOP convention votes

Saturday

Mar 22, 2014 at 9:10 PMMar 22, 2014 at 9:18 PM

By John J. Monahan Telegram & Gaztte Staff

BOSTON — Republican Charles D. Baker Jr. and his lieutenant governor running mate Karyn Polito appeared to have won a primary-free run through to the November election Saturday, as convention delegates barely denied tea party candidate Mark Fisher the 15 percent support needed to force a primary contest.

More than an hour after the convention at the Agganis Arena was adjourned, party officials announced they had resolved questions raised over the delegate vote totals and that Mr. Baker would be the only GOP candidate for governor on the ballot. They said Mr. Fisher fell short of the 15 percent cutoff with 14.7 percent of the votes.

Mr. Fisher, a business owner from Shrewsbury in his first bid for elective office, had said earlier that depending on whether officials counted blank votes in calculating the percentages he may have gotten 15.1 percent. But party officials said they concluded his vote total was short of the 15 percent mark.

"They were disappointed, clearly. I don't blame them. I've lost a lot of close ones," said National Republican Committee member Ronald Kaufman of the reaction from the Fisher campaign. Mr. Kaufman was an observer during a review of the votes conducted by the convention parliamentarian at the arena immediately after the convention was adjourned.

He said that while the Fisher campaign asked for a recount, the parliamentarian did not grant one because there are no provisions for a recount in the rules. Mr. Kaufman said the parliamentarian was very fair, but it was not clear if the Fisher campaign might challenge the result. "They said they were going to go home and sleep on it," Mr. Kaufman said.

Mr. Baker, making his second run for governor and hoping to avoid a primary, was challenged on the floor of the convention by Mr. Fisher, who called on delegates to give him a chance to bring his more conservative views to voters in a primary.

Accepting the party endorsement with his showing of just over 85 percent, Mr. Baker urged delegates to help him defeat the Democrats in November.

"Thank you. Thank you for believing in me again," Mr. Baker shouted from the stage. "And thank you for believing, knowing, that we can do better," he said.

About 2,500 delegates attended the convention that also filled out their state's candidates for constitutional offices with no primaries.

Making his pitch before the balloting, Mr. Baker asked delegates if they were tired of the state running at the bottom of surveys rating the high cost of doing business and high cost of living and ticked off a long list of criticisms of state government.

He said the state that had one of the best health care connector Web sites now has one of the worst, described the Department of Children and Families as being "in shambles," and said thousands of criminals have been released from prison because of the state drug lab scandal.

Meanwhile, he said, state spending has grown by $6 billion while aid to cities and towns has been cut by half a billion. Because the state gasoline tax is now tied to inflation, he said, "It will never stop growing, not ever." Meanwhile, he described the medical marijuana dispensary license process as "a fiasco."

"I believe in this great state and I believe it is ready to soar. But we aren't going anywhere if the powers on Beacon Hill continue to protect the status quo," Mr. Baker said. Democrats, he said, always want, "more government, more spending, more taxing, more regulation, more bureaucracy and more power."

"It's time for a new direction in which taxpayers interests are first and special interests are last," Mr Baker said.

Mr. Fisher drew rounds of applause from many in the arena when he ran down a series of hot-button issues he said separated himself from Mr. Baker.

The question before delegates, he said, was, "Will we allow another view to compete" with what he called the "liberal big tent view" that has promoted moderate Republicans such as Mr. Baker. He said he is the only candidate to sign a no new tax pledge and opposes driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

He said he supports the state party platform that backs traditional marriage and includes language describing abortion as tragic. "You know that I am a full-platform, no-excuses-necessary, proud Republican. I am not ashamed of our state party platform. I am not running away from it," Mr. Fisher said.

Ms. Polito, who lost a bid for state Treasurer in 2010, joined GOP candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor in gaining the nomination by acclamation with no other Republicans contending for those offices.

Ms. Polito charged up the standing-room-only crowd, asking them from the stage, "Are you ready to set a new direction for Massachusetts? Are you ready to end one party rule in our state government?"

"When Charlie Baker and I take office we will set a new direction, a new direction for our economy so we can start growing jobs again, a new direction for our government so it's as hard working and fiscally responsible as the people it serves," she said to cheers from the audience.

Ms. Polito opened her acceptance speech remembering her "friend and mentor" the late Gov. Paul Cellucci, saying he remains "in all of our hearts." She also thanked her husband, Steve, 10-year-old son, Bobby, and 8-year-old daughter, Judy, who were on hand for the event.

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